Saints News

MIDFIELDER Steven Davis admitted that Saints received a slice of good fortune for the decisive penalty against Aston Villa.

Referee Mark Halsey – a late replacement for the ill Chris Foy – awarded Nigel Adkins’ side a spot kick after Jay Rodriguez went to ground following an attempted tackle from Enda Stevens, despite the defender failing to make contact with the striker.

Davis, a late sub, said: “I thought at the time that Jay just nipped in front and their lad’s dived in a little bit.

“At the time I thought it was a penalty. But you need a little bit of luck sometimes as well.

“It went in our favour.”

Davis was returning to the club where he started his career and said he hopes both sides can find a way of avoiding relegation.

“I still have a soft spot for the club,” he said.

“I came through here and I’ll be forever grateful to Villa for giving me a chance here in the Premier League.

“I’d like to see both teams staying up, but it’s tight down at the bottom now.

Big time against diving ......... hmmm until
it happened during one of our most crucial games possible !! To be fair, I think JR was expecting the tackle and ........ You win some and lose some , leaves us about 6 more pens to come FOC !!

Big time against diving ......... hmmm until
it happened during one of our most crucial games possible !! To be fair, I think JR was expecting the tackle and ........ You win some and lose some , leaves us about 6 more pens to come FOC !!Buddy SFC

It was also the nature of Villa's tackling up to that point that influenced the ref. It was a bit wild and erratic, so in the context of the way they were throwing themselves about, Halsey thought it was another one of those. Serves Villa right, really.

It was also the nature of Villa's tackling up to that point that influenced the ref. It was a bit wild and erratic, so in the context of the way they were throwing themselves about, Halsey thought it was another one of those. Serves Villa right, really.batesieboy